Nothing escapes them.
He begins to feel, in the giant speculations of 1862 and 1863, that
luck can desert even an old gamester, at life's exciting table. He
suffers enormously, yet Lagunitas's resources are behind him.
In the long fight of the street, victory perches with the strongest
battalions. Philip Hardin cannot know that men toiling by the day
in obscure places now, will yet exchange cigars with royal princes.
They will hobnob with the Hapsburgs. They will enter racing bets
in the jewelled notebooks of grand dukes. They copy the luxuries,
the inborn vices of the blue blood of Europe's crowned Sardanapalian
autocrats.
From saloon to salon, from kitchen to kirmess, from the faro table
to the Queen's drawing-room, from the canvas trousers of the miner
to Poole's creations, from the calico frock of the housemaid to
Worth's dazzling masterpieces, from making omelets to sneering at
operas, the great social lightning-change act goes on.
Philip Hardin loves his splendid home, where the foot of Hortense
Duval sinks in the tufted glories of Persia and the Wilton looms.
He does not marvel to see ex-cattle-drovers, promoted waiters,
lucky lemonade-sellers, and Pike County discoverers, buying gold
watch-chains by the pound.
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